Liguilla

Mexico's soccer postseason kicks off today with an eight-team tourney called the liguilla. Chivas didn't qualify despite being just four points off of the league leaders because of an unfortunate division breakdown and some bad bounces in the last two weeks. Coupled with their annihilation against in the Copa Sudamérica, it's a bummer finish to a season that looked like it was going in the right direction a month ago. Oh well, they should be ready for next year.

Santos, which opens up against regular-season points leader San Luis, will have a hard time defending their title without speed demon Christian Benítez, who suffered an injury in the last game of the season. To compensate for the loss, the team brought Cuauhtémoc Blanco on loan from the Chicago Fire. Futbolísticamente (that adverb doesn't exist in English, but it should, there's no other way to cut right to the grain in the Beautiful Game), I’d guess Blanco will play the offensive, distributor midfield spot Daniel Ludueña occupies now, and Ludueña will move up to forward. I question whether that will work out; Blanco has looked great playing in the MLS, but in a faster-paced game, he is limited at this stage of his career. Ludueña also does everything Blanco does but better, and now will have to readjust to a new role that isn't as well suited to his skills. Santos would have been better off finding someone who could approximate Benítez’s role without mixing everything else up as well.

From a sheer entertainment standpoint, I love the Blanco transfer. It's hard to describe his relationship with Mexican soccer fans. He's perhaps of the most offensively talented Mexican of his generation; he's also clearly the most offensive soccer personality. I can't quite think of a modern parallel, so I'll jump back two decades: he's a cross between John McEnroe and Esa Tikkanen. Most of the Santos fans have long had hatred of Blanco, who starred with América, written into their DNA, so if the deal doesn't work out, it'll be fun to watch them all tear the hair out of their angry, angry heads.

The best first-round matchup pits Mexico City rivals Cruz Azul and Pumas against each other; the winner will probably be the favorite to win the title.